Michigan calls itself “The Great Lakes State,” but the Sierra Club recently gave the Legislature a failing grade on environmental issues. The Sierra Club said the 2011-2012 class of state lawmakers was “by far the most anti-environmental Legislature we’ve had in Michigan for decades.”

I’m not going to cast judgment on the Legislature. Decide for yourself after reading the Sierra Club’s legislative scorecard, which you can find here.

I do think it’s interesting that one of the Sierra Club members attacking the Legislature’s handling of environmental issues — especially the GOP, which currently controls every branch of state government — is a former Republican.

“Why does our Legislature have the wrong priorities when it comes to protecting Michigan’s environment?” said James D’Amour, the Michigan Sierra Club’s Vice Political Chair, who was once an active member of the Republican Party. “We (Michigan) used to be leaders in making conservation a top priority, but not anymore. The new direction of the GOP is disappointing and disheartening for Republicans like me who care about the environment.”

I’m not real happy with many of the bills signed into law this year, but there were a few good ones. The score from the Sierra Club comes as no surprise, you can’t please them no matter what. I left the Sierra Club back in the early 80’s as they had become way too extreme as far as I was concerned. I am also certain that the scorecards they issue will be featured prominently in their fund raising efforts. It’s a tactic used by groups on both sides of the political spectrum, cry doom and gloom, claim that there’s a crisis that only your donation can stop.

Heck, they used to bash former Gov. William Milliken on a regular basis when the consensus is that he was one of our most environmentally friendly governors.

It is sad is how total hypocrites (so called outdoor sportsmen) brag how cool it is to be openly corrupt and vote for the right-wing Tea Party politicians that are the most anti DNR/DEQ, anti natural resources, pro polluters, anti MNTRF, just for starters. The hypocrite sportsmen then complain about the DNR and everything else at meetings and on their web blog forums. DUH? I point blank in their face tell them the DNR has no money because you got exactly what you voted for! Your harbors have no dredging money because your right-wing Tea party demanded no earmarks. We cannot expand the native Great Lakes Spotted Muskellunge program because there are right-wing musky club members supporting the anti DNR Republicans to destroy the DNR budget and staffing. The DEQ staff can’t stop destruction of musky spawning habitat because the right-wing Republicans destroyed DEQ staffing funding to stop site inspection on behalf of lakefront developers. The hypocrite sportsmen don’t care about the Clean Water Act that allowed 30-years of walleye programs and fishing we have today. The right-wing hypocrite sportsmen refuse to face the truth, and as a result those of us that do support our DNR/DEQ staffers receive the retaliation.